Dark and moody and mildly engaging despite its inconsistencies, Triple 9 benefits from a solid cast including Woody Harrelson as an eccentric detective investigating the gang. Its not the best crime thriller youll see, but there are some powerful moments here. Im going with two-and-a-half out of five.

The graphic violence is worser for the fact that many children hang around the frame. Trying to decipher whether all of it amounts to anything, you may appreciate the fact that Triple 9 is as mixed-race as it gets, with no obvious stereotypes.

We never get an inkling as to the back stories of each of the characters and thats a major flaw so-to-speak but the treatment is such that theres no time to even dwell on that aspect. Everything happens with significant punctuations and at the end theres hardly anyone left standing. This is more of an ensemble act and each actor does his/her bit to strengthen the dark power of the narrative. The treatment employed for Triple 9 is as brutal as the story immortalised within. You may not love this movie but theres no way you can remain unaffected by it either.

While Harrelson is the pot-puffing cop-with-conscience, the film’s emotional core consists of Ejiofor and Mackie’s performances and the moral questions that are constantly going through their minds like a ticker tape. Visual metaphors abound – most of the action happens after dark, where faces are bathed in eerie red light. And you’re bound to notice an overhead shot of intertwining highways, representative of the complex dealings of the characters. Affleck is dialed-down but he’s equally compelling. And yes, truth be told, the entire cast is a powerhouse of talent. Apart from an unnecessary profusion of subplots, you’ll likely find this heist-thriller to be quite satisfying.